Brass ensembles – quintets and quartets – occupy a very special place in the world of classical music and performance. These ensembles, in which trumpets, horn, trombone and tuba create sounds that musicians weave into rich harmonies, demand faultless technique, the ability to listen to one’s fellow musicians and a subtle sense for the colour of sound. The members of these ensembles must master the art of blending and harmonising the sounds they make, which requires not only technical skill but also a high level of musicianship and collective awareness.
The technical proficiency and artistry of the extraordinarily talented young ensembles that have passed the selection for the Ljubljana Festival International Competition – Brass Quartets and Quintets 2025 have been assessed by a panel consisting of renowned musicians and teachers: Franc Kosem, Dušan Kranjc and Boštjan Lipovšek. The competition is designed to bring together musicians all over the world, offering them the opportunity to compare experiences, deepen their knowledge and express their artistic vision. At the same time, the competition encourages innovation and the creation of musical experiences that will delight audiences.
The competition will feature 17 ensembles with members from a total of 26 countries:
- Anima Trombone Quartet (Israel, Ukraine, Turkey, Romania)
- Bass Brass Collective (Slovenia)
- BrassUnit (France, Sweden)
- Colombia Brass Quintet (Colombia)
- Freiburg Brass Quintet (China, Poland, Germany, Hungary)
- Iberica Quartet (Spain, Portugal)
- Kaiser Ensemble (China, Korea, Estonia)
- KamBrass Quintet (Spain)
- Les Brasseurs Quintet (Italy)
- London Central Brass (United Kingdom, Portugal)
- Moin Horns (Portugal, Japan, Iran, Spain)
- MUK Brass Vienna (Italy, Austria)
- Neues Haus Brass (Turkey, Spain, Japan, Belgium)
- Nordic Trombone Quartet (Sweden, Norway, Iceland)
- North Atlantic Brass (Denmark, Iceland)
- Quatuor Ellius (France)
- The Midway Brass (United States of America)
The competing ensembles will demonstrate their skills in Ljubljana at an international competition that will take place from 24 February to 1 March 2025, under the artistic direction of trombonist Branimir Slokar, who will also chair the judging panel. During this period, the participating musicians will have the opportunity to demonstrate their creativity and technical mastery in chamber ensembles.
Congratulations to all the selected competitors. We wish them a successful competition.
Admission to performances in the first stage of the competition is free of charge (the exact timetable of the performances will be published at a later date). Tickets for the second stage are already available online at ljubljanafestival.si and at the Križanke box office, petrol stations and other Eventim outlets.
Ljubljana Festival Club members are entitled to a 20% discount during the presale period (which lasts until 16 November) and a 10% discount after tickets go on general sale. You can join the Club here.
